ML19323E326
| ML19323E326 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | South Texas  |
| Issue date: | 05/06/1980 |
| From: | Seyfrit K NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV) |
| To: | Eric Turner HOUSTON LIGHTING & POWER CO. |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8005230393 | |
| Download: ML19323E326 (1) | |
Text
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UNITED STATES NSIC o
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 3"
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CENTRAL FILES RectoN IV E
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611 RYAN PLAZA DRIVE, SulTE 1000
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-l ARLINGTON, TEXAS 76012
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May 6, 1980 In Reply Refer To:
RIV Docket Nos. 50-498/IE Bulletin No. 80-10 50-499/IE Bulletin No. 80-10 Houston Lighting & Power Company ATTN:
Mr. E. A. Turner, Vice President Power Phnt Construction and Technical Services Post Office B;x 1700 Houston, Tex.ts 77001 Gentlemen:
Enclosed is IE Bulletin Nc. 80-10 which requires action by you with regard to your power reactor facilities with an operating license.
For facilities with e coastruction permit, no action is required; the Bulletin is providing information only.
Should you have questions regarding this Bulletin or the actions required of you, please contact this office.
Sincerely, A
'Karl V. Sey r'it
/
Director
Enclosures:
1.
List of Recentif Issued IE Bulletins
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SSINS No.: 6820 UNITED STATES Accessions No.:
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 8002280677 i
0FFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT l
WASHINGTON, D.C.
20555 IE Bulletin No. 80-10 Date: May 6, 1980 Page 1 of 2 i
CONTAMINATION OF NONRADI0 ACTIVE SYSTEM AND RESULTING POTn TIAL FOR UNMONITORED, UNCONTROLLED RELEASE OF RADI0 ACTIVITY TO ENVIRONMENT i
Description of Circumstance j
At the Brunswick Nuclear Facility, the auxiliary boiler was operated for an extended period of time with radioactively contaminated water in the boiler 2
l at levels up to 2 x 10 microcuries per milliliter.
A tube leak in the firebox of the oil fired auxiliary boiler resulted in an unmonitored, uncon-trolled release of radioactivity to the environment.
The initial contaminating event was caused by the use of a temporary heating hose from the auxiliary boiler to a radioactive waste evaporator concentrate tank.
Upon cooling and condensation of the steam in the temporary hose, contam-4 5
inated water siphoned from the concentrate tank back to the auxiliary boiler.
Due to additional, continuing leaks in the heat exchanger of the waste evaporator (to which the auxiliary boiler also provides process steam), the licensee's efforts to decontaminate the auxiliary boiler feedwater had been ineffective.
Maintenance of proper boiler chemistry was difficult because blowdown options I
were severely restricted due to the contamination. As a result, a boiler tube failure caused on the order of 100 millicuries of radioactive material to be released off-site via the auxiliary boiler fire box and smokestack in the foon of steam. This resulted in increased environmental levels of cesium and activa-tion products being detected as far as eight miles downwind from the site boundary.
i Action to be Taken by Licensee with an Operating License 1.
Review your_ facility design and operation to identify systems that are I
considered as nonradioactive (or described as nonradioactive in the FSAR), but could possibly become radioactive through interfaces with radioactive systems, i.e., a nonradioactive system that could become j
contaminated due to leakage, valving errors or other operating conditions in radioactive systems.
In particular, special consideration should be given to the following systems:
auxiliary boiler system, demineralized water system, isolation condenser system, PWR seccadary water clean-up i
system, instrument air system, and the sanitary waste system.
2.
Establish a routine sampling / analysis or monitoring program for these systems.in order to promptly identify any contaminating events which could lead to unmonitored, uncontrolled liquid or gaseous releases to the environment, including releases to on-site leaching fields or
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retention ponds, t
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1 IE Bulletin No. 80-10 Date: May 6, 1980 i
Page 2 of 2
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3.
If these nonradioactive systems are or become contaminated, further use of the system shall be restricted until the cause of the contamination is identified and corrected and the system has been decontaminated.
Decon-tamination should be performed as soon as possible.
However, if it is considered necessary to continue operation of the system as contaminated, an immediate seiety evaluation of the operation of the system as a radio-active system must be performed in accordance with the requirements of 10 CFR 50.59. The 10 CFR 50.59 safety evaluation must consider the level of 4
contamination (i.e., concentration and total curie inventory) and any potential releases (either routine or accident) of radioactivity to the environment. The relationship of such releases to the radioactive effluent limits of 10 CFR 20 and the facility's Technical Specification and to the environmental radiation dose limits of 40 CFR 190 must also be evaluated.
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The record of the safety evaluation must set forth the basis and criteria 1
on which the determination was made.
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4.
If it is determined in the 10 CFR 50.59 safety evaluation that operation of the system as a radioactive system is acceptable (i.e., does not involve an unreviewed safety question or a change to the Technical Specifications), provisions must be made to comply with the requirements of 10 CFR 20.201, General Design Criterion 64 to 10 CFR 50, Appendix I to 10 CFR 50 and the facility's Technical Specifications.
In specific, any potential release points must be monitored and all releases must be con-trolled and maintained to "As Low As is Reasonably Achievable" levels as addressed in Appendix I to 10 CFR 50 and within the corresponding environ-mental dose limits of 40 CFR 190.
However, if in the 10 CFR 50.59 determination it is determined that operation of the system as a radio-active system does constitute an unreviewed safety question or does require a change to the Technical Specifications, the system shall not be operated as contaminated without prior Commission approval.
I Actions taken in response to Items 1 and 2 above shall be completed within 45 days from the date of this Bulletin. A verification letter shall be submitted within an additional 15 days to the Director of the appropriate NRC Regional Office. This letter shall document the completion of the required actions but need not delineate the specific actions taken.
The specifics shall be docu-i mented and tide available to the NRC for review during future onsite inspection i
efforts.
For facilities with a construction permit, no action is required. The Bulletin is provided for information. The subject of the Bu21etin and the action required of operating plants should prove useful in the planning of systems designs and future operations.
Approved by GAO, B180225 (R0072); clearance expires 7-31-80.
Approval was given under a blanket clearance specifically for identified generic problems.
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IE Bulletin No. 80-10 May 6, 1980 RECENTLY ISSUED IE BULLETINS Bulletin Subject Date Issued Issued To No.
80-05 Vacuum Condition Resulting 3/10/80 All PWR power reactor In Damage To Chemical facilities holding Volume Control System Operating Licenses (OLs)
(CVCS) Holdup Tanks and to those with a Construction Permit (CP) 80-06 Engineered Safety Feature 3/13/80 All power reactor facilities (ESF) Reset Controls with an Operating License (OL)79-03A Longitudinal Weld Defects 4/4/80 All power reactor facilities In ASME SA-312 Type 304 with an Operating License Stainless Steel Pipe (OL) or Construction Permit (CP) 80-07 BWR Jet Pump Assembly 4/4/80 All GE BWR-3 and BWR-4 Failure facilities with an Operating License (OL) 80-08 Examination of Containment 4/7/80 All power reactors with a Liner Penetration Welds Construction Permit and/or Operating License (OL) 80-09 Hydramotor Actuator 4/17/80 All power reactor Deficiencies operating facilities and holders of power reactor construction permits Enclosure